Happy hour: Schedule to be unveiled Wednesday, so let’s rank the 16 matchups now

Wednesday will be a big day: the 49ers will learn what course they must set for their first Super Bowl (win) in 20 years. It’ll be schedule-release day (5 p.m., PT).

It won’t be an easy path to Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Ariz.

The 49ers rank in the top five for strength-of-schedule in 2014. Their upcoming opponents had a .563 winning percentage last season, tied for the fourth-highest mark with the San Diego Chargers. The three teams ahead of them are on the 49ers schedule: Raiders (.578), Denver Broncos (.570) and St. Louis Rams (.564).

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Unlike last season, when the 49ers traveled conceivably more miles than any club in NFL history, this season will be more mileage friendly. Their only game in the Eastern Time Zone is against the New York Giants, and their next furthest games are those on the Mississippi River shores in St. Louis and New Orleans.

Of course, this is the 49ers’ first season at the nearly completed Levi’s Stadium, a $1.3 billion venue next to their long-time training facility in Santa Clara. Their regular-season home opener is not expected until Week 2, likely on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.”

Here’s a look at their 16 games, ranked by potential intrigue in each matchup (which could change radically in 24 hours):

1. At Seattle Seahawks: Site of last season’s end (and fateful end-zone interception).

2. Vs. Seattle Seahawks: They may be reigning champs but they haven’t won in the Bay Area since 2008 — or in 2,004 days.